


Can you see me drowning?

by teenage_fanbitch



Category: Henry Danger (TV)
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26252098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teenage_fanbitch/pseuds/teenage_fanbitch
Summary: He got used to it, that's the part that scares him. Not the sleepless nights, not the skipping class, not the wounds he has to cover up. None of that scares him.
Relationships: Henry Hart & Charlotte Page, Henry Hart & Piper Hart, Henry Hart & Ray Manchester, Jasper Dunlop & Henry Hart, Jasper Dunlop & Henry Hart & Charlotte Page
Comments: 2
Kudos: 91





	Can you see me drowning?

He got used to it, that's the part that scares him. Not the sleepless nights, not the skipping class, not the wounds he has to cover up. None of that scares him.

It used to, when this all started, but not anymore. Why should he be scared? He's Kid Danger, a superhero, the sidekick of the indestructible Captain Man.

In the beginning he was afraid his loved ones would notice him slipping away. They'd see the bruises, they'd see through the lies, they'd realize something was going on.

Charlotte did, he expected that, but his heart still stopped for a second when she found out. He'd hoped he could keep it a secret longer, just to stop her from worrying. She never tried to talk him out of it though, he's glad she didn't.

Jasper noticed it too, he didn't put the pieces together like Charlotte did, but he noticed. Maybe it was the sleeping during class, maybe it was the fact they barely hung out anymore. It had been a relief when he found out, no more lying, no more distance.

And Piper... Piper's just Piper. She didn't care about him back then, that stung, but he was oddly okay with it. If she didn't pay attention she wouldn't see the bruises.

Of course, that didn't last forever. Their parents were fighting more and more, they'd come home long after dinner, more often drunk than not. He took care of his little sister, she did the same for him. That was a problem.

He doesn't want her to know, doesn't want her to see him like this. Piper had asked about it. About the screams she hears in the death of the night. About the lies he tells her. About what was going on with him.

He'd brushed it off, muttering an 'I'm fine' before going to the Man Cave. Of course, Piper didn't believe him, it was stupid of him to think that she would. But even so, he'd never tell her, maybe he should, he doesn't know.

It's not the danger itself that scares him. No, he knows the risks of his job. He knows them, and he's okay with them. He's okay with the nightmares he has to endure. He's okay with the pain he wakes up to. He's okay with his failing grades. It's a small sacrifice to protect the people he loves.

He's not okay with the people around him seeing him fall. He's slipping away and he knows it. They all know it.

The bags underneath his eyes grow bigger and bigger. He doesn't sleep at night. Either because there's a fight going on, or he's waiting for one to come. A year ago he still slept, it wasn't much, but it was something. Then he saw his sister looking for earplugs online. If he doesn't sleep, there would be no nightmares, there would be no screams, and there would be no worry in his sister's eyes.

School used to be a safe place. He'd doze off and get a few minutes of peace. Then the nightmares started, and he didn't want to go to school anymore. So he stopped. He stopped showing up altogether, and when the first letter came, he stuffed it underneath his bed.

There would be consequences, a lot of them, he knew that. They'd call his house, but nobody would be home to answer. Maybe they'd come to his house, but his parents wouldn't be there. The worst part is that he might not be able to graduate. But that didn't matter, there's no way he'd be able to study anyway.

Ray told him to stop, even tried to force him to, but he couldn't. Quitting wasn't an option, this was all he had. He could handle it, and even if he couldn't, he had to, because otherwise there'd be nothing left.

He didn't miss the concerned look on Ray's face every time he got hurt in a fight. It didn't match his own look of indifference.

Some days he acknowledges Ray was right, perhaps this job wasn't meant for a kid. But no matter what Ray said, he needed a sidekick, and Henry would stay. He always stayed.

The odd looks he received on the street stopped bothering him. It didn't matter if the whole town saw his scars, or the bags, or the limping. He was falling apart, and he didn't care.

His friends did, but they couldn't stop him. So they stayed, pulling him through the rough times. Hoping their support could hold him together for just a bit longer.

Maybe it did, maybe he'd have given up a long time ago if it weren't for them.

But then, one day, he had to fly a blimp into a mountain. There was no fear, none at all. He didn't care if he died, he just wanted to protect his city, his friends, his sister.

No, he couldn't leave them behind. Couldn't leave his little sister alone with their parents. Couldn't leave Charlotte and Jasper with only each other to mourn him.

And maybe that's what activated his power, maybe that's the thing he needed, the reason to continue living. Because maybe this could be the start of something new. Something better.

Charlotte and Jasper never let him go again.


End file.
